Good talk with my oldest. . .

Sprat is 13 and will be in 8th grade next year.  Yikes!!!  Only one year left in middle school.  They do grow up so fast.  Night before last we had a great talk just sitting in the dark, because we were both to lazy to get up and turn on a light.  We talked about school starting and how he will be in high school in another year.  We talked about scary movies and I told him some funny stories about his dad and I when we were first married.  Sprat does not usually want to talk about stuff, he is pretty closed mouthed when it comes to his life.  I have to capitalize on the time I have with him because I feel like that quality convo time is slipping away.  Soon his dad and I will be an embarrassment to him and he won't want to have anything to do with us.
We sat in the dark on the couch and talked for a good hour or so.  My hope is, that should something serious come up, that he will feel comfortable coming to one of us to talk about it.   We talked about people and how some people are pretenders.  Like some people are pretending to be something they are not.  I told him I want him to be the best "him" he can be.   I am so afraid he will get mixed up with the wrong crowd.  There are so many wrong crowds out there these days for kids to fall into.  We talked about how you have to be careful who you hang around with because you could be lumped in to whatever they are doing.  I used the example of vandalism.  There are some kids in our neighborhood that like to be out at all hours of the day and night and do things that they know they are not supposed to do.  I told Sprat if he is seen with them he could be accused of doing some of those very things even though he was not out with them.  My mother always called this "birds of a feather flock together."   It took me 22 years to realize my parents were always right, I hope it does not take as long for my kids.  That does not mean I did not listen to them but, I just was more skeptical about what they said.  My parents saved me from many a heart ache by giving me good advice.